May 22, 2007, Washington, DC-- The Optical Society of America (OSA) has announced the 2007 recipients of its many prestigious awards. "The OSA Board of Directors is pleased to honor this year's award recipients and I'm privileged to count these outstanding individuals as my colleagues," said OSA president Joseph Eberly.
This year's winners include: Daniel Kleppner, Frederic Ives Medal/Jarus W. Quinn Endowment; M.J. Soileau, Esther Hoffman Beller Medal; Luigi Lugiato, Max Born Award; Stephen D. Fantone, Distinguished Service Award; J. Roger P. Angel, Joseph Fraunhofer Award/Robert M. Burley Prize; Connie J. Chang-Hasnain, Nick Holonyak, Jr. Award; Charles R. Munnerlyn, Edwin H. Land Medal; Jonathan Tennyson, Ellis R. Lippincott Award; Shanhui Fan, Adolph Lomb Medal; J. Gary Eden, C. E. K. Mees Medal; Pierre Agostini, William F. Meggers Award; Arpad A. Bergh, OSA Leadership Award-New Focus/Bookham Prize; Kenneth Chau, OSA - New Focus/Bookham Student Award; James L. Fergason, David Richardson Medal; Serge Haroche, Charles Hard Townes Award; Emmanuel Desurvire, John Tyndall Award; Bahram Jalali, R.W. Wood Prize. These award winners join an esteemed group of past recipients in their perseverance, ingenuity and foresight in the field of optics.
"Year after year, OSA honors the best and the brightest in the field of optics and photonics and this year is no different," said Elizabeth Rogan, OSA executive director. "These 17 outstanding scientists and engineers have contributed to the field in their own unique ways, providing leadership, innovations, expertise, service and quality research. OSA congratulates them on their achievements."
The review process for each of the awards is stringent, with all nominees evaluated by a selection committee. While the criteria differ for each award, the judging process remains the same. A nomination form is submitted, along with a brief citation summarizing the nominee's accomplishments, emphasizing those that make him/her a candidate for the particular award, a one-page narrative description touching on the most significant events in the candidate's career, a curriculum vitae and a minimum of four letters of reference for the candidate. The OSA Board of Directors appoints a committee to oversee each nomination process. The committee is then responsible for evaluating each nominee and choosing the person most deserving of the award. Finally, the committee's recommendations are presented to the OSA Board of Directors for their review and approval.
For a complete description of awards and award winners for 2007, visit www.osa.org.